Just a Bit of History on Our Constitutional Rights

It is difficult for me, if not impossible, to understand any point in our history without some understanding of the mindset of those who made it. As I have been reading of the relocation of Japanese-Americans from the western states after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, I have sought information from both sides of the argument to get a better feeling of how people felt during this time.

It is important to note, in 1942 there were two distinct generations of Japanese-Americans affected by this relocation. The "Issei" were the Japanese immigrants, who were not American citizens and, at that time, had no means under the laws of this country to become US citizens. The "Nisei" were the children of the Issei, born on American soil and who were citizens of the United States.

In February of 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which allowed military authorities to exclude from certain designated areas "any and all persons" who may be deemed a threat to the nation's security. This authority allowed the Commander of the Western Defense Command, General John L. DeWitt to begin the complete evacuation of all Japanese-Americans from their homes in California, Oregon, Arizona and Washington. In March of 1942, a Wartime Relocation Authority (WRA) was established by Executive Order to supervise the relocation of approximately 120,000 Japanese-Americans. This included the Nisei who were American citizens since birth. It is important to note that there was no serious consideration given at the time to the relocation of citizens of German or Italian ancestry, although we were at war with both of these countries, as well as Japan.

From this point on in my reading, I had a difficult time trying to imagine how I would have felt, had I been in their position. I think if you try to imagine our government coming into your home with a demand that you must leave, with only those possessions that you can carry in one bag, for a destination that is completely unknown to you, I'm sure, as an American citizen, you would have a difficult time accepting this type of scenario. Take some time and try to remember what it would have been like as a young kid, for you and your parents to have to face such an ordeal. Then think again about how it would feel now, as adults and as parents, to have to give up all you own and move your families to a relocation camp for an undefined period of time.

These relocation camps were built like prison camps, complete with guards to prevent the escape of their inhabitants. Ten camps were built to house the 120,000 Japanese-Americans. Minidoka, in south central Idaho, Heart Mountain in northwestern Wyoming, Amache in southeastern Colorado, Topaz in south central Utah, Gila River and Poston in Arizona, Rohwer and Jerome in eastern Arkansas and finally Manzanar and Tule Lake in eastern California. (You might remember that I wrote of Tule Lake in an earlier post where Captain Jack of the Modocs killed General E.R.S. Canby.) Families were forced to live in units as small as 20 by 25 feet and these units were just part of a larger barracks with other families residing all around. Eric Muller wrote in "Free to Die for Their Country", "The barracks were situated in groups or "blocks" of twelve to fourteen, separated by dirt roads and alleys that turned to seas of mud in the rain and to sheets of ice in the cold. Each block had a communal latrine, a laundry facility, a recreation hall, and a mess hall."

Eric Muller's book details the lives and hardships within these internment camps and goes on to describe the government's sudden conflicting reversal of thought by drafting young Nisei men into the Army. These same men who were relocated to these camps because of the threat that they imposed to their country, were now being asked to fight and die for their country. Prior to the draft, several of these men volunteered to fight for their country. Many thought that it was the only way to prove their loyalty and to "win" their way out of these camps. As you might imagine, several of these men resisted the draft because they could not understand how a country could imprison them as a threat and then offer to arm them as soldiers. Many of these men were prosecuted and sent to prison, prisons not totally unlike the internment camps from which they came.

Those who fought in the war, fought with a discipline and courage that was remarkable. Robert Asahina wrote an excellent book, "Just Americans", about the story of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT). This unit was one of the most highly decorated units of its size in WWII. It distinguished itself through numerous heroic actions in the Italian Campaign under General Mark Clark and later became national heroes as they fought their way through the Vosges Mountains in southern France to rescue the "Lost Battalion". The Lost Battalion was a unit of the 36th Infantry Division (originally part of the Texas National Guard), which had distanced itself beyond the flanking support of its brother units and had become surrounded by the Germans. The wholly segregated 100th Battalion/442nd RCT, in less than a month, lost over 50 percent of their unit in reaching and saving the Lost Battalion. Second Lieutenant Marty Higgins, commander of one of the companies in the Lost Battalion, later stated, "We were not aware of the tremendous losses. No one will ever be able to convince me that the men killed and wounded in our rescue can be justified. We should have been bypassed."

In December of 1945, General Joseph Stilwell addressed a memorial service for SSgt. Kazuo Masuda, who was decorated posthumously with the Distinguished Service Cross. "The Nisei bought an awful big hunk of America with their blood. Those Nisei boys have a place in the American heart, now and forever. We cannot allow a single injustice to be done to the Nisei without defeating the purpose for which we fought... Who, after all, is the real American? The real American is the man who calls it a fair exchange to lay down his life in order that American ideals may go on living. And judging by such a test, Sergeant Masuda was a better American than any of us here today." General Stilwell was second in command of the Western Defense Command at the time of the issuance of Executive Order 9066 and at that time argued against the relocation efforts established by General DeWitt.

In March of 2000, Marty Higgins, at age 84, spoke to the survivors of the 100th Battalion/442nd RCT in Hawaii, "The bureaucrats of the United States imposed despicable and unconscionable acts on your parents. They lost their homes, places of business, and farms; they were imprisoned in relocation centers. I am not sure if I could have done what you did; to volunteer to fight for the country that took away your constitutional rights. In my lifetime, no other group was ever persecuted as badly as you were. Every one of you deserves the Distinguished Service award. You distinguished yourselves in combat, and as loyal citizens of the United States of America. We are forever thankful and indebted to you."

Even today there are those who would say that the relocation was justified at the time. Just like everything about our history, this is hard to discern if you weren't there to live through it. Michelle Malkin wrote a good book entitled "In Defense of Internment", which tries to substantiate the government's decision to relocate these citizens. There was much concern after Pearl Harbor about the loyalty of the Japanese-Americans residing on the west coast. In the San Francisco area, a Japanese Military Servicemen's League was formed to support the on-going Sino-Japanese War. Many other similar Japanese organizations existed in places like San Diego, Los Angeles, Gardena Valley and other cities throughout the west coast. The intense loyalty of some of the Japanese-Americans to the Imperial Government of Japan was a major concern of our government. Malkin's book details many of the intelligence reports of various suspected and some known subversive actions by Japanese-Americans during the days prior to and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is a well written and convincing document on the mindset of the intelligence community, the military and the United States Government during this time. It offers a different view point for the rationale behind the relocation decision making process. It gives you plenty to think about.

Were the relocation efforts justified? Were there alternative approaches that would have been better for all concerned? My honest opinion is that this situation was handled very poorly by our Government. The problem with my opinion is…I wasn't there. I have read only three books about this subject and more than likely there is a certain bias written into each one. However, I've found it to be an interesting point in our nation's history and thought that I would share it with you. Here is an excellent website for you to visit, if you are so inclined, to learn more of these people and this time in history, http://goforbroke.org/about_us/about_us....